And God Created
by Lrenn
Summary: In the beginning...a rewrite of the Creation Story for my Created and Called class...Enjoy! :
1. Chapter 1

And God Created…

Ren Hurley

2009

* * *

Darkness. Void. Empty.

God the Father paced back and forth in the darkness that was nothing, his footsteps echoing with silence. God the Son stood back, watching with a pensive look in his dark eyes. God the Holy Spirit stood beside him, doing his best to radiate peace and calm.

"I want something to love," God whispered. "Something that will love me."

Holy Spirit glanced at Jesus. "You're going to create something that will love you?"

God heard the skepticism in his voice and his face split into a wide grin. "That's the beauty of it. I won't force my creations to love me. I will give them a choice."

"Free will." Jesus said, his stepped forward, his excitement growing.

"Let's not jump into this," Holy Spirit cautioned. "Such a thing could be dangerous."

God nodded. "It will be hard, but…" He glanced over the expanse of nothingness. "It'll be worth it." He turned back to his counterparts. "Will you trust me?"

"Yes," Jesus said immediately.

Holy Spirit watched the two of them for a moment. "You know what this means. You cannot pretend you don't." Seeing that they did, he sighed. "Yes, I will trust you."

God bit his lip. What first? Space? A being? A proton? He had so many ideas swirling around in his head. Joy surged through his being.

First, he had to do something about this darkness. How were his creations to see him if there was no…

"Let there be Light," he breathed into infinity. He drew his finger in a vertical motion then swept his hand to the right. All he touched grew lighter. Brilliant light, an echo of its Creator, spread on forever into infinity.

Jesus began to laugh, unable to contain his joy. "It's beautiful," he whispered.

God surveyed his work. "It _is_ good."

"Day and night," Holy Spirit chimed in. "What's next? "

"Something to govern it." God grinned. He stood for a moment watching the evidence of his glory spread all around them. Biting his lip, he reached into the light and grabbed a handful of the warm substance. Jesus frowned, moving closer for a better look.

God rolled the light in the palms of his hands, light splintering off in a thousand directions. Light seeped through his fingers, up his arms, reflecting off the faces of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Around and around he rolled the light until was a singular ball, tightly packed and contained.

Seeing the mischievous glint if God's eye, Jesus asked, "Wait! Can I do it?"

God nodded. "Of course." He handed the ball of created light to his Son with a clap on the back. Jesus pulled his arm back then heaved it forward, propelling the ball until it settled in the middle of the light, pulling all the light to it until there was but a single glowing entity in the middle of the darkness.

"And to govern the darkness?" Jesus mused.

God pinched off a bit of the darkness and rolled it between his fingers until he held a much smaller, but round ball that immediately began to reflect the light's rays. With a quick flick, he flung the smaller ball to settle in the darkness.

"The sun," he murmured, glancing at the Son, "and the moon, to govern the day and the night." He eyed the celestial creations with wonder and sighed. "It is good." He stopped. Something was missing. There was too much darkness, not enough light. Pinching off a bit more of light from the sun, God gathered a handful of the warmth and crunched it in his hands, fracturing and splintering the light rays. After a moment, he opened his hands to reveal broken tiny pieces of light. With a joyous laugh, he flung his arms wide, palms open. The bits of light flew in all directions before attaching themselves to the darkness around the sun and moon.  
"Stars," the Holy Spirit whispered. He reached a hand up and moved a star here, and placed a star there.

Jesus couldn't help but stare at the pinpricks of light shining through the darkness. His heart felt so full he thought it might burst. "The heavens declare your glory."

God didn't hear him. He was listening to something else, something sweeter. As soon as they had nestled against the black infinity of space, he heard the most beautiful sound, a song, a whisper. It was like the wind he hadn't yet created, or the picture of a rose that sat at the back of his mind. "It is good."

The Holy Spirit came to stand by God's shoulder. "God, it's beautiful, but these things cannot love us." He spread his arm wide. "They can proclaim your glory. They sing - listen to them sing! - of your power, but they cannot love us."

Feeling a twinge of longing, God nodded. "I know. But it will come. I have waited an eternity for this. I just want to make it perfect for them. Perfect in beauty and wonder," he sighed with pleasure. "Their time will come."

Jesus bowed his head in thought for a moment. "An expanse," he quipped, "one to hold creations like this one, separate from the rest of your beings."

"An expanse." God murmured, latching onto the idea.

The Holy Spirit nodded. "Your beings need a place that will sustain them. Water. Earth. Air. A stable atmosphere." He moved to God's side. "Here, I'll help you." God clapped his counterpart on the shoulder and together they formed what they would call Earth. They pulled darkness and light and used their own breath to create the ball of life. Together, they pulled and stretched and added particles and love until the world spread and spread and grew and grew until it surrounded them. The created sun shone high above them, outside the atmosphere the Holy Spirit has wrapped around the Earth, banishing the darkness that had once been all that existed.

"It's formless," Jesus said, a bit disappointed, eyeing the water that stretched on and on.

God laughed, the sound deep and rich, echoing into infinity. "It's not finished yet, my Son. It might not ever be."

"There's so much yet to be done," the Holy Spirit looked around, catching God's enthusiasm.

"Then let's keep going." With a sweep gesture of his arms, God bent and groaned, as if straining, pulling his hands high. Jesus and the Holy Spirit stepped back. The newly formed earth shuddered and groaned along with its Creator. Suddenly, solid land grew from the waters. Rich brown earth emerged, spreading out, growing higher. God pushed his hands back and forth, front to back, side to side, and up and down. Each sweep of his hand sent earth farther away or pushed it closer to the burning sun.

"Jesus," God grunted as he continued to move the earth around, "Jesus, gather the water. Push it into the valleys. Fill them!" Jesus hurried to do his Father's bidding. The Holy Spirit rushed to join him. Catching the water running off the earth God was pulling out of it, they pushed and hauled the water into the deep crevices and valleys the new earth had formed. When they were finished and the earth finally stood still, Jesus stepped back in awe.

The deep blue of the waters were such a contrast to the rich dark tones of the earth. Huge mountains reached toward the sun, piercing the sky with pointed peaks, casting shadows over long plateaus and deep valleys. And in the silence that was Creation, he heard it.

Singing.

Praises.

Glory.

Creation, as seemingly empty as it was, glowed with life and rang with the praises of its Creator.

"The very rocks are crying out," Jesus whispered, unwilling to break the beauty of this moment. He glanced again at the water and gasped at their movement. "The waves bow down." He looked at the shadows of the mountains. "The mountains declare your majesty."

And there was God, the Father, the Creator, the Ancient of Days, standing in the midst of all he had made, his brow furrowed, deep in thought. "It is good," Jesus heard him whisper. "But…"

God bent and scooped up a handful of earth. He stared at it for a moment, running the fingers of his other hand through the thick soft substance. Then, with a sudden grin, he tossed the soil into the air. Caught on the breeze, the particles flew a yard or so away, scattering here and there. And Jesus watched in wonder. As the particles of earth hit the ground, they exploded in a burst of color. Green shoots of grass and other plants instantly grew from the ground, spreading over all the brown earth.

Lavish pinks, iridescent purples, breath-taking reds, bright oranges, colors in all shades and tones burst forth from the stalks of green. Thick brown and gray trunks grew and grew reaching for the sky, exploding anew in green leaves and colorful fruit. The Holy Spirit began to laugh at the beauty of it all. Scents new and lovely wafted around them, singing praises to their Creator as they clung to the breeze.

God watched his creation expand and heaved a sigh on contentment. "It is good." He looked back at Jesus and the Holy Spirit with a gleam in his eye. "Let's make more!" Jesus joined in his laughter as God ran to the edge of the sea and dipped in a hand. The others hurried to catch up. As they approached, God spun, holding out his hand. Jesus jumped back, startled.  
"What is it?" he cried, staring at the wriggling orange and white thing.

"It's an animal! To live in the sea!" He let the animal slither back into the water. "Come look what I've done!" he said, unable to contain his excitement. Just as Jesus knelt down beside his Father, the Holy Spirit gasped. Jesus looked up in time to see a spout of water shoot up from the calm surface followed by a large gray curved expanse of…something.

"Will you look at that," he breathed. "It's alive!" He felt God's hand on his arm and he glanced down to where his Father pointed. He laughed in surprise.

Beneath the calm, quite, unsuspecting surface of the great seas, God had created a wonder land. Corals in the brightest colors covered the undersea land. Animals slithered and swam in and out, shaped in every size and clothed in every color. Stripes, circles, big, little, minute. It was all there. He looked out into the deeper ocean and found schools of very large undersea creatures, with fins and tails and flippers. Wide intelligent eyes watched their Creator, laughing and dancing in their underwater home. One animal, long and slippery, gray and gifted with a permanent smile swam to him, pressing close. Jesus held out a hand and ran his fingers over the rubbery surface, sending tingles down his spine.

"I can't believe you created all of this," he said to God when he returned. "They'll love it. It's perfect!" He wanted to shout or jump or explode with joy.

God grinned, sharing in his Son's joy. He glanced at the Holy Spirit who stood off a ways, silent, pensive. He moved to his side, not saying a word.

The Holy Spirit glanced at God. Wordless wisdom brewed in his eyes, filling their infinite depths. "You know what's going to happen."

God instantly sobered. "Yes," he whispered.

"And yet you keep creating? Knowing that one day all of this will be destroyed?"

God shook his head. "Not destroyed. Redeemed. This world may be taken from us. It may be plundered and sucked dry. But not forever." He glanced at Jesus, still standing at the water's edge. "He's the Answer. He's the reason I keep creating. So my creatures will one day know him, and through him me and you." He swung his arm out, surveying all he had done. "That's what this is all about." He smiled. "And it's not over yet."

He gave the Holy Spirit a knowing glance and moved to stand in the shadow of a huge mountain. He thought a moment, standing shadowed from the sun. Then, cupping his hands around his mouth, he let out a long breath. When he opened his hands, he laughed aloud in delight. The creature in his hands stretched its wings, fluffing its feathers, clicking its beak. It looked at its Creator for a moment before spreading its wings and lifting off, soaring through the sky. He repeated the gesture, creating another and another. Winged animals of all sizes, shapes, and colors, sprang from God's hands, taking flight. Before long God was surrounded by the animals' songs as they swirled around him, singing their praises before flying off, setting with their own kind.

God laughed, long and loud. "Be fruitful! Increase!" he shouted into the wind. "Fill the skies, fill the earth! Let all creation hear of what is happening!" He released the last bird which instantly dove for the ocean, spraying droplets of sparkling water over the Son. Jesus couldn't keep the smile from his face, the joy from his heart. Colors and sights and sounds exploded before his senses, such as he'd never imagined. He looked at the Father and seeing the look on his face, knew there was much more to come.

The Holy Spirit joined Jesus, taking off his sandals to feel the sand between his toes. "It is good."

"It's more than good," Jesus cried. "It's perfect!"  
"For now."

Jesus turned, the smile frozen on his face. He sobered. "We all know what's coming. It's not easy to ignore." He shook his head. "They will choose death and destruction, but so many will also choose joy and peace and eternal life!"

"We cannot force them to choose us," God came up to them, watching the sun play hide and seek with fluffy white clouds.

"Why not?" the Holy Spirit countered. "Creating them to love us would keep everything as it is. It would always be the same. No death. No destruction."

"It would also be empty," God murmured. "Hollow. Shallow." He shook his head. "No. Forced love is no love at all. Yes, they will choose death and destruction, but without suffering there is no hope. Without hope this life we are creating for them would not be worthy living."

"It's worth their lives?"

"It's worth MY life." Jesus stepped forward.

The Holy Spirit looked at him with solemn eyes. "You can stop this at any time."

"I won't."

His heart broke for the Son, for what he knew must be accomplished. "Why?" he asked in anguish.

"Because I love them with an everlasting love. A love that transcends time or place." He gave the Holy Spirit a rueful grin. "I know you do too."

God put a hand on his Spirit's arm. "Come. Let's not talk of this now. There is still much to be done. I can't do it alone." He glanced at Jesus, who nodded. "I have a few ideas for the creatures who will inhabit the earth."

Together, the Father, his Spirit, and his Son gathered the dust of the earth and fashioned living animals. Animals that slithered, animals that ran and leaped. Animals that clung to the trees. From the tiniest winged creature that flittered around the flowers to the large eared gray giant that left lumbered through the tall grass. Animals that burrowed. Animals that lived both in water and out. Fur, scales, skin, hair, spots, stripes. Each animal crafted with the finest of details and the deepest love.

God ran his hand down the long slender neck of a grass-grazer, its brown coat shining in the sunlight. It nuzzled his chest, blowing warm air out in a huff. "It is good," God whispered. "You are good." The animal neighed, a song of thanksgiving, and turned to join its own kind.

"Do they have names?"  
God shook his head in answer to his Spirit's question. "I thought I'd let Man do that."

Jesus froze. "Man? You mean it's time?"

God looked around at all they had done. He could hardly breathe for the excitement, the passion, the love that surged through him. When he looked again at Jesus, his eyes were filled with tears of joy. "It's time."

Reverently, but with much joy, God knelt in the dirt and he began to shape Man. "In our image," he whispered as he gathered a handful of dust. Lovingly, his hands shaped the dust, molding it, solidifying the substance into the image of the everlasting God. Two eyes the same shade as the Creator's. Two ears to hear Creation sing. Two hands to lift toward Heaven in praise. Two feet to follow the Master. A mind to recognize and know the power of God. A heart to love him and be loved.

Jesus and the Holy Spirit stood a ways back as they watched God create humanity. Each movement of God's hands was smooth, confident, and infinitely loving. Skin, hair, muscle, bone. Each part making up the precious pinnacle of creation. Delicate. Strong. Crafted by the Most High.

It was a long time before God stepped back and surveyed his work, almost afraid to touch it for fear he'd shatter its beauty. Jesus and the Holy Spirit stepped forward to stand at the Father's side. God looked up at them to see tears in Jesus' eyes and wonder mirroring his own. The Holy Spirit stared, wide-eyed at the creation before him.

Jesus swallowed hard. "I didn't realize how much I would love him," he whispered. "It is good."

God nodded. "It is good."

At the back of his mind he saw his only Son hanging on a cross, blood running down his body. A sacrifice for a fallen Man. This man. And the ones to come. Taking a shuddering breath, God leaned down in blew a life-giving breath into the lungs of humanity.

* * *


	2. Epilogue

EPILOGUE

A mixture of joy and grief filled the Father's eyes as he surveyed all he had done. He walked through the Garden, running a timeless hand over a new green leaf, bending down to smell the essence of a perfectly formed rose, lifting his face to the sun, a glorious reminder of his love for all Creation.

He looked out over the world he had created. The oceans – pulled by the tide of the moon spinning silently behind the wide expanse of blue sky. The trees – bending gracefully in the breeze He has stirred with his own hands. The animals – diverse, unique, special, named. A glance to his right revealed a lion, such a massive creature of strength and power, cradling a tiny white lamb, fragile and preciously small, gently in its paws. The lion lifted its head high, proud, as the lamb yawned, nestling closer to its companion. God smiled at the sight.

Strength and power protecting fragility and peace.

His walk brought him to the center of the Garden, to the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Such beauty…such evil. Deep in His heart, the Father knew what would come of this creation. He knew it would happen; He had seen it. The gift that would bring about the greatest sacrifice would also bring about the greatest fall from grace.

Free will.

Even now, Man and Woman stood unaware of the gift they possessed. Their actions were not dictated by a robotic god or a program or pattern. Their thoughts were their own. Their words were their own. Their actions, the Father thought sadly, were their own. It had been His greatest joy to bestow upon them such an idea. For forcibly given love was no love at all.

The Son walked up beside him, followed shortly by the Holy Spirit. The Father sighed. "If you are not willing, my Son…"

The Son shook his head vehemently. "I would do anything for your children, my brother and sister."

"Even unto death?" the Holy Spirit asked.

Jesus clenched his teeth, fighting tears. "They will fall, deceived and so become deceivers. Separate from us. Separate from the fullness of God." He hung his head. "I couldn't bear to leave them to their fate. If I can give them a chance…"

"Redemption," God murmured, his voice coming from deep in his chest. "Sacrifice."

Jesus looked up, adamant. "Because I love them, I am willing. I love them too much to let them die, to let them go. I won't let them go!"  
The Holy Spirit nodded, wrapping an arm around Jesus' shoulders. "I know. And I will help you."

God nodded. "You are not alone. Neither will they be, for I will never leave them, nor forsake them." The three stood together for a long moment, reveling in their work. Grieving for what was to come. Rejoicing in the Truth.

Just as he stepped forward to meet his children, movement in the brush caught God's eye. A serpent, dark red and brown slithered out of the shadows toward the Man and Woman. Seeing his intent, God stopped, grief piercing his heart. "I will never leave you, nor forsake you," he whispered into the wind.

Looking back at his counterparts, he said, "It's time."


End file.
